ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0QRS47Z

Replacement Coccyx to No Qualifier with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemQ Lower Bones
OperationR Replacement
Body PartS Coccyx
Approach4 Percutaneous Endoscopic
Device7 Autologous Tissue Substitute
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Putting in or on biological or synthetic material that physically takes the place and/or function of all or a portion of a body part

Procedure Overview

Replacement procedures put in biological or synthetic material that physically takes over the role of all or part of a lower bone. This includes structural bone grafts, cadaver bone allografts, and synthetic bone substitutes used to rebuild a portion of the pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula, or foot bones after tumor resection, severe trauma, or bone loss from infection.

These procedures are performed when a segment of bone is missing or so damaged that it can no longer support the body's structure or function on its own, and simply repairing or repositioning the remaining bone isn't enough. A patient who has had a tumor removed from the femoral shaft, for example, may need the resulting gap filled with a structural allograft to restore the bone's load-bearing capacity.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Coccyx

The coccyx is the small triangular bone at the caudal end of the vertebral column, formed by several fused vertebral remnants and serving as an attachment point for pelvic floor muscles and ligaments. Replacement of this structure is uncommon and would arise in the setting of extensive destruction from tumor, osteomyelitis, or severe traumatic loss where the native bone cannot be repositioned or repaired, requiring substitution with a synthetic or biologic implant to restore the caudal pelvic contour. Given its proximity to the rectum, sacrococcygeal ligaments, and gluteal musculature, any reconstructive replacement must account for these adjacent soft tissue attachments. Documentation should clarify that the coccyx itself, rather than the sacrum, was the structure replaced, since the two are coded separately.

Approach: Percutaneous Endoscopic

Percutaneous Endoscopic combines a puncture through skin or mucous membrane with insertion of an endoscope to visualize the procedure internally, as in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It is distinguished from plain Percutaneous by the presence of scope-guided visualization, and from Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic by its route being a new puncture rather than an existing orifice or stoma.

Device: Autologous Tissue Substitute

Autologous Tissue Substitute identifies a device value where material harvested from the patient's own body, such as an autograft, is used to replace or reconstruct a body part. Its defining feature is tissue origin from the patient, setting it apart from Nonautologous Tissue Substitute, sourced from a donor or animal, and Synthetic Substitute, made of manufactured material.

Coding & Documentation

Documentation must describe material being put in that takes over the physical role of the bone segment - not material that merely reinforces existing bone, which would be Supplement instead. The type of graft or substitute material and the specific bone segment addressed both need to be clear in the operative note. A frequent error is coding Replacement when bone graft is used to fill a defect but the native bone structure is still largely intact and functional, which points toward Supplement rather than Replacement; another is confusing joint replacement procedures, which are coded to the Lower Joints body system, with bone-segment replacement coded here.

Commonly Confused With

SupplementSupplement is the closest and most frequently confused root operation, since both can involve grafting material into bone; the distinguishing factor is whether the material takes the place of a missing or resected bone segment (Replacement) or reinforces bone that is still structurally present (Supplement).
InsertionInsertion is distinct because it covers placing a device that doesn't physically substitute for bone tissue, such as a spacer.
RepositionReposition is unrelated in purpose, since it moves existing bone rather than replacing missing bone with new material.